


Nathan’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad First Dates (and 1 That Was Just Right)

by icygrace



Series: Dates [1]
Category: Olympics RPF, Sports RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-15
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-05 08:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/721082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icygrace/pseuds/icygrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathan’s gone on more first dates in the past couple years than he had in all the rest of his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an awesome prompt from acquafiamma on the olympickids LJ comm: “Nathan/all of the blind dates - Nathan recounts his (really bad, no good, terrible) dates to Phlochte, who babysit Charlie anytime this occurs.” Special thanks to mugglemiranda for her wonderful ideas for this fic and willingness to message back and forth hashing things out. There’s background in Part 1 before we get to the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad first dates in Parts 2, 3, and 4.

 

  
Nathan’s gone on more first dates in the past couple years than he had in all the rest of his life.

\---

Before, Nathan had a lot on his plate.

Before London, he had classes and training and friends to think about and not much time for anything else.

After London, _everything_ changed. He continued to train at Cal, but his medals unlocked a whole new lifestyle – new invitations, new appearances, new sponsorships. Meeting – and partying with! – people who were household names, people he’d only seen online or in magazines.

It was everything he’d never even thought to want.

The opportunities were endless . . . and the women were willing.

He wasn’t a sleaze, but what twenty-something guy wouldn’t be interested in all that attention? But it did get old pretty quickly. What he really wanted was a _normal_ girl.

\---

Eventually Nathan found her: pretty, funny, smart, fun. Perfect.

Soon, he couldn’t picture taking anyone else along on all the adventures his newfound fame opened up.

She loved it.

He loved _her_. He could even – maybe, just maybe – picture spending the rest of his life with her, when the time was right.

Then it all came crashing down around him.

_Pregnant! I’m_ pregnant _._

He was young. Too young to be a father. And too busy, to be honest. (There was still Rio to consider, after all.)

But they could make it work. He was smart and responsible and liked children. He could learn (he was good at that); he had an amazing example in his own parents. Thankfully, he had already been planning to retire after Rio. He wanted to go to med school and if he waited much longer than that, how old would he be before he got to practice in his own right? It would be an unusual move, but it was what he wanted. He loved swimming, but it wouldn’t last forever. And he had always wanted to be a doctor.

To say she was _not happy_ to hear about his retirement plans was the understatement of the century.

She couldn’t stand the thought of their (occasionally) glamorous lives as Olympian-and-girlfriend coming to an end. His retirement ended up being a topic they could never see eye to eye on.

Shortly after Charlie was born, she bailed for good.

To say things weren’t easy after that would _also_ be an understatement. Somehow he managed to muddle through without doing permanent damage. Charlie grew and smiled and laughed and walked and talked for the first time and he saw it all, was there for it all because Charlie went _everywhere_ with him. He wouldn’t have had it any other way.

But it was hard.

As much as he loved swimming, it was not only a good move, but also a relief to retire after Rio.

\---

After Rio, Nathan could’ve stayed in Berkeley. But it would’ve been strange to still be there _ten years_ after arriving as a freshman, when his life was nearly unrecognizable. He wasn’t a kid anymore; he _had_ a kid. He had his degree – in public health, with honors. (His mother can’t stop talking about it. Sometimes he thinks she’s prouder of that than of all his Olympic success. Maybe – she _is_ a tiger mom.) He was a retired three-time Olympian with a medal haul that was pretty impressive for anyone not named Michael Phelps.

He could’ve gone home to Bremerton. He’d always wanted to. His parents had always wanted him to, too, and they especially wanted him to now that there was Charlie to consider.

But they had already done so much for him and his siblings. They’d successfully raised three children to pretty happy adulthoods. Now, they deserved to enjoy _their_ retirement, not spend it helping him raise _his_ child because he’d chosen the wrong woman. 

And there was medical school to consider after the post-Rio press flurry.

\--

Somehow, despite being a solidly West Coast guy, Nathan ends up in Gainesville, at the University of Florida.

In the end, it’s not actually that surprising of a move: it feels like the city has become some sort of USA Swimming halfway house-cum-retirement community. That’s probably due in large part to Michael and Ryan (who admittedly is _not_ retired), not to mention Conor and Elizabeth, and Coach Troy, who is still at UF and also _not_ retired.

So there’s med school. And he has friends there, with more promising to blow through town on a regular basis. (Cullen, for instance, seems determined to win Best Godfather Ever by building the Lochte-Phelps/Phelps-Lochte/whatever-their-last-name-actually-is kids a menagerie, one visit at a time, before they hit double digits. And he’s pretty fond of Charlie and of Conor and Elizabeth’s kids too.) Plus his friends are falling all over themselves to help him with Charlie. There’s something that’s not as bad about accepting help from friends – from peers, from equals – as going home and throwing himself at his parents’ mercy.

\---

Anyway, despite his protests, his friends are _also_ falling all over themselves to help him with his love life.

As are his classmates, his neighbors, and even the _mothers_ at Charlie’s school.

_Don’t be afraid; they can_ smell _fear_ , Nathan tells himself whenever he walks into events at Charlie’s school. He sticks close to his friends, but to no avail – his parents raised him well, _too_ well – so he’s too polite to say no, even when the _cooing_ of the latest pack of predators circling him makes him break into a cold sweat and want to run out the double doors as fast as he can.

The mothers flirt _shamelessly_ with him. But while some may be total Desperate Housewives, they just want the attention; as a rule, they’re not actually trying to pick him up for themselves. (Usually. There’s some he really wonders about.) Instead, he leaves with a list of names and numbers (that he doesn’t intend to follow through with) belonging to their single sisters/cousins/co-workers/neighbors/friends and their promises to follow up (which they _do_ intend to follow through with).

Fuck his life. Every time. Each of these dates he’s too polite to say no to _always_ ends in catastrophe. Each of these dates _also_ ends with Michael and Ryan laughing their asses off when he comes to pick Charlie up and recounts his latest train wreck of an evening.

At this point, Nathan’s been on so many disastrous dates that he makes a checklist so he can cut his losses. It has his most prized characteristics in a good date-with-potential-for-the-future, with the most challenging (and most important one) coming last.

1) _Pretty_

2) _Funny_

3) _Smart_

4) _Fun and gets along with my friends_

5) **_GOOD MOM MATERIAL_**

\---

Nathan remembers one of the first nights after he and Charlie became a family of 2. Charlie has no memory of his mother _now_ , but baby Charlie definitely missed her when she disappeared without warning, without a trace.

(Well, in the Internet age, it’s hard to disappear without a _trace_ , but he wasn’t about to go looking for somebody who didn’t want to be part of their lives and beg her to come back.)

He was half-crazed with sleep deprivation because, while Charlie was normally a pretty happy baby, he just _would not stop crying_ that night. Even after he’d given him a bath (usually did the trick, he liked water as much as Nathan did), put him in a fresh diaper and clean clothes, fed him _and_ rocked him. He even tried _singing_. (He was a _terrible_ singer. Maybe that's why it didn't work.)

Nathan had been _thisclose_ to joining Charlie in his tears when something he _hadn’t_ tried floated out of his memories.

_Oliver’s a dream – so easygoing, he falls asleep anywhere and_ fast _– but Lauren’s difficult. Sometimes when she won’t go to sleep, I end up putting her in her car seat and just drive around town in the Escalade and talk to her until she conks out._

He didn’t have an Escalade, but he _did_ have a car and a car seat and he’d run out of ideas.

Charlie was still wailing as Nathan bundled him up and told him they were going for a ride.

Once they were both successfully buckled in and the car was in motion, Charlie’s cries got marginally quieter, but he wasn’t even close to calmed down.

So Nathan started talking. About home, about his family, about swimming and Cal and the Olympics and anything else he could think of. Eventually the crying started to diminish, but it might have just been that Charlie was tiring himself out.

And he was tiring Nathan out. Nathan was worn so raw that he ended up bringing up the one thing he’d been refusing to talk about.

For the first time that whole night, he felt like he had Charlie’s rapt attention.

“I know it’s hard, buddy. I know you miss your mom. I’m sorry it’s just me. But I promise I’ll pick better next time. Because you’ll help, right? We'll pick together. I mean, you’re only a baby, but I’m pretty sure you’re already smarter than me.”

Charlie made a noise that sounded suspiciously like assent and finally nodded off to sleep.

\---

Nathan wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Hence the list.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad First Dates #1 and #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this hasn't been updated in forever, it kind of got lost in the shuffle of other things I've written and I'd been thinking I'd revise, but it's needed for things coming up, so here is Part 2!

**1) Pretty**

 

Nathan’s on his way out of the locker room at the O’Connell Center, freshly showered after a swim, for his first date following the implementation of The List.

 

“Looking good, Bok Choy!” A familiar teasing voice calls out from the direction of the pool. _Missy_.

 

( _That’s_ why you don’t tell USA Swimming your embarrassing childhood nickname. Because then it ends up on your official bio and other National Team members won’t let you live it down, even after you retire.)

 

“He’s got a hot date tonight. You think he bothers the rest of the time?” another familiar voice responds. _Ryan_.

 

(The problem with relying on your friends as babysitters is that they know every little thing about your schedule and social calendar.)

 

“Another one?”

 

Nathan feels his face flush for some reason as he approaches the deck.

 

“Yeah, Junior’s hanging with us tonight,” Ryan answers.

 

“Why do _you_ always get to babysit Charlie?” She pouts, blue-green eyes open wide. It’s adorable, he thinks, smiling in spite of himself. (Just _thinking_ the word “adorable” is probably against Man Law or something, but he likes to live on the wild side. Yeah, that’s what he tells himself.)

 

The truth of the matter is that, while Missy is the bizarre breed of only child that adores children, she’s also busy training full-time for the Olympics, not to mention young and single, with sponsorship commitments and a busy social calendar of her own, so he feels guilty taking advantage of her willingness to babysit toooften. Michael and Ryan, on the other hand, are married homebodies (enough of the time) and have their own kids to deal with, so what’s one more?

 

Especially when Charlie is, more often than not, better behaved than Oliver and Lauren. (Mrs. Lochte likes to throw the word _karma_ around a lot – always with a big, too-innocent _who me_? grin in Ryan’s direction – whenever she’s in town.) If anything, Charlie’s a welcome calming influence in their household.

 

“Because we’re the best sitters _ever_.”

 

“I’m pretty sure your children would beg to differ,” Nathan cuts in. He can’t help himself.

 

“My point exactly!” Missy laughs, smiling up at him. (He’s pretty sure he’s one of the few people who’s ever on the opposite end of a smile _up_ from Missy – she’s crazy tall. Ryan only has an inch on her and it kills him.)

 

“You know what? If we’re such terrible babysitters, let the Missile over here handle it next time. I’d say tonight, except the kid’s already at ours.” Nathan sighs at that. Charlie went straight back to Casa de Phlochte – as they all jokingly call it – with the twins that day. (The days when he doesn’t see Charlie again until the end of the day are hard. And there’s too many of them for his liking.) But Ryan’s not actually mad – while his mouth is set firm, his eyes are dancing.

 

“Great by me,” Missy agrees.

 

“I guess you guys have already made the decision for me. And there was no bloodshed. Works for me,” he settles it. “Thanks, Miss. But anyway, guys, I’ve got to get going – hot date, and all that.”

 

“Good luck.”

 

“Go get ‘er, Nateezy.”

 

\---

 

Nathan pulls up near the restaurant and snags the nearest parking spot (across the street), smoothing the wrinkles out of his pants and shirt before walking towards the classic American grill he’d picked. His date – his elderly neighbor’s step-niece – said she was a redhead and would be wearing a green dress. (Good taste, he thought at the time.)

 

He sees her before she sees him. Taken aback is an understatement. His jaw’s about an inch from the ground.

 

He’s _thisclose_ to getting back in the car when he sees her, maybe saying Charlie got sick or his house was on fire, but – damn, she spots him before he can make a move.

 

Nathan’s not particularly shallow. But he’s a relatively attractive guy (if the Tumblr stalkers and Twitter followers that still bother with him are anything to go by) and he _would_ like to date somebody mildly attractive, too.

 

_Mildly attractive_ wouldn’t touch this poor woman – Belinda – with a ten foot pool.

 

(The lack of Facebook profile picture was suspicious, but he had just brushed it off. Some people really _are_ just very concerned about their privacy.)

 

Food’s good. Belinda’s perfectly nice and at least a little funny. He doesn’t have a bad time. She’s a teacher, so she’s probably reasonably intelligent and good with kids.

 

Nathan feels like an absolute ass, but it’s just not _there_. ( _For obvious reasons_ , answers the voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like his favorite – sorry, Conor – Flo-Bro.)

 

\---

 

Nathan unbuttons his top buttons, props his feet up on the coffee table, and spills everything.

 

Michael almost snorts out the coffee-laced-liberally-with-Bailey’s he’d started brewing when he opened the door and saw the look on Nathan’s face. He wouldn’t feel comfortable driving – especially not with Charlie in the car – after the wine he had at dinner _and_ the spiked coffee they’re downing, but the guys insist he needs it, so he’s going to sleep on their couch and take Charlie home in the morning.

 

“I think I almost _pissed_ myself, dude” Ryan chortles.

 

“Fuck you, Lochte,” he mumbles, taking the straight shot Mike passes him. (Conor has officially been promoted to Nathan’s Favorite Flo-Bro Forever. Not that he’s _really_ a bro but –)

 

By the time they’re done (several video games, too many shots and _much_ shit-talking later), he’s stumbling, but still with it enough that he wants to check on Charlie before going hitting the hay.

 

Charlie’s fast asleep, of course, but Nathan still smooths back his hair, kisses him on the forehead. He tells him, “Maybe next time, buddy,” before weaving his way back to the couch and face-planting, dead to the world until Lauren jumps on him by way of greeting the next morning.

 

**2) Funny/Good Sense of Humor**

 

Thank God Missy’s baby-sitting Charlie for List Date #2, who came recommended by Cullen’s fiancée. (They worked together before Date #2 moved to Gainesville.) Nathan’s not sure he could handle another Casa de Phlochte post-date review session. (His stomach still churns at the mere _thought_ of Bailey’s.)

 

He’s not quite ready when she arrives for duty. “Hey Miss, I’ll just be a minute,” he says after opening the door, turning away to struggle with his tie. (This place is a little more upscale.)

 

“Here, let me,” she volunteers, moving closer to tug it out of his hands and fiddle with it until it’s perfect. She smiles, observing her handiwork. “Done. See?”

 

“Amazing Olympic swimmer, babysitter extraordinaire, expert tier of ties – is there anything you can’t do?”

 

“That’s for me to know and you neverto find out,” she grins and he can’t do anything _but_ grin back.

 

“Missy!” Charlie exclaims from behind him.

 

“Hey, favorite kid _ever_ ,” she greets him, bending down to his level for a high five and a bear hug. “Remember –”

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Ollie and Lo.”

 

(The ~~Lochte-Phelps Phelps Lochte~~ twins idolize Missy as much as Charlie does and the tantrum Lauren would throw upon hearing that her favorite pearls-donning swimmer prefers Charlie would leave most of the county harder of hearing than they started.)

 

“Good. It’s our special secret.”

 

Nathan raises an eyebrow at them.

 

“And your dad can be in on it, too, I guess,” she adds reluctantly.

 

“I’m honored,” he jibes.

 

“But no telling!” she admonishes mock-sternly.

 

“I would _never_.”

 

“Good. OK then, go slay some hoes.”

 

“What?” He nods silently in Charlie’s direction, but luckily Charlie’s too absorbed in the picture book he was perusing before Missy arrived.

 

Missy’s eyes go wide and she claps a hand over her mouth, blushing bright pink. “ _Sorry_! Ignore me; I’ve officially been spending too much time with the Lochtenator.”

 

With that, she’s practically pushing him out the door. “Wait –”

 

“I’ve got all the emergency numbers – though how _Ryan_ qualifies as an emergency number I’ll never know. I remember Charlie’s allergic to kiwis, though why you would _ever_ feed him kiwis, I don’t even _like_ kiwis, they’re –”

 

He interrupts her, “Here’s money to order take –”

 

“Keep it! I’m making something,” she returns, gesturing to the shopping bag he hadn’t noticed when he first came in. “Rumor has it you like it almost as much as Charlie does. We’ll save you the leftovers. Now shoo.”

 

Nathan says goodbye and good night to Charlie. Then he goes, though not particularly willingly.

 

\---

 

The restaurant is nice. (And expensive.) The food is delicious. (It better be.)

 

But the company is awful. Don’t get him wrong – his date is _hot_. (She looks like she practically poured herself into her little black dress. But still classy. Somehow.)And she can hold her own when it comes to intelligent conversation. (Her views on the political unrest in the world’s current hotspots impress him and he hopes he doesn’t sound like an inarticulate buffoon in comparison.)

 

He has no idea if his friends will like her or how she feels about children. 

 

But it doesn’t even matter because she’s _boring as fuck_.

 

He knows he’s not exactly a comedian. (He’s pretty corny actually.) But at least he’s not humorless.

 

She’s so _serious_. Which is fine, most of the time. But no matter how much he tries to lighten things up every now and again throughout dinner, she doesn’t crack a smile, let alone laugh. It’s like talking to the Mona Lisa. (Appropriate – her name _is_ Lisa. He wonders if that was what her parents had in mind when they named her.)

 

Or a British bobby. 

 

Or _Michael_ ten minutes before a race.

 

\---

 

When Nathan gets back, Missy gives him a sympathetic look as soon as she sees the downcast expression on his face. “On the bright side, Charlie and I had a good night and he’s out like a light. Won’t be any trouble – not that he usually is and not that I’m surprised. You’re pretty good at this dad thing,” she informs him, nudging him companionably in a bald attempt to elicit a smile.

 

“You don’t need to compliment me because you feel sorry for me,” he sighs.

 

“It’s true. I’ve said it before. I’m just repeating it right now because it looks like you could stand hearing it. And because I feel bad that, from the sound of that sigh, I definitely had much more fun staying here with your son than _you_ did on your date.”

 

“True.”

 

“So what went wrong?”

 

Missy listens patiently, nodding and wincing and laughing in all the right places, before launching into one of her own worst date stories.

 

One of the best things about Missy’s stories is how she talks not just with her words, but with her face and hands and pretty much her whole body. Tonight, her facial expressions are _priceless_ as she waves the book she was reading before he got back – _Atlas Shrugged_ (“I may not like it, but I like to be informed”) – for emphasis at the appropriate moments.

 

“He told me I reminded him of his grandma. Seriously, his _grandma_! It was _awful_. . . And at the end of the night he tried to invite himself up by saying ‘I just want to see your medals, Melissa.’ Melissa! No one calls me Melissa, except my parents when I’m in trouble and that was hardly ever. He probably did want to see my medals, but let’s be real, what he _really_ wanted to see was inside my pants.”

 

She has him doubling over in stitches and eventually makes him forget the rotten date he just had.

 

Nathan only remembers his date again after Missy’s left, when he goes to check on Charlie and give him the usual status report: “Maybe next time, buddy.”


	3. Chapter 3

3) Smart

Anna (List Date #3) is definitely attractive – until she opens her mouth. 

She had made it through because she had been the sorority sister of one of the St. Peter’s mothers, who swore up and down that Anna was pretty (she did have a terrific profile picture), fun (what kind of sorority girl wouldn’t be, don’t they select for that?) and loved children. 

Maybe that’s because she pretty much is a child. 

An exceptionally stupid child.

Anna makes “because racing” (a segment of the legendary YouTube compilation called Ryan Lochte Is Terrible at Interviews, which is good for a laugh pretty much anytime ever) sound like “I Have a Dream.” 

She makes the infamous former Miss Teen South Carolina sound like JFK.

(That happened back in 2007, before Nathan even had a single Olympics under his belt, but it was so dumb it’s still noteworthy.)

Compared to Anna, Miss Teen South Carolina sounds like FDR. Or Churchill. Or any great orator in the history of ever.

Seriously. Anna’s not even funny –funniness may not require straight-up book smarts, but it requires, at minimum, a little cleverness – but he still has to keep his mouth busy in order not to laugh at her. It’s a challenge and he ends up eating and drinking so fast that he gives himself a stomachache. Consequently, telling her he doesn’t feel well and needs to cut the evening short isn’t strictly a lie.

He stops feeling guilty after it takes her twenty minutes to absorb that, yes, he really does feel ill and, no, it’s not an excuse for the benefit of the waiter so they can head out early for some fun. It takes another ten to explain that no, he can’t go back to hers for a nightcap (or bring her back to his) because even if he didn’t feel ill, he has to pick up his son – who he already mentioned several times before. (Her suggestion that they pick up Charlie and then go get it on at his place would have been the last straw if Nathan hadn’t already written her off ten minutes in.) 

But by the time Nathan gets back to Michael and Ryan’s (after paying the check, driving around a bit, and taking a walk alone so he can finally let out the laughter he’s been holding in all night), his stomach feels remarkably better. So much so that he goes straight for the toffee-and-chocolate covered popcorn the guys keep especially for him (it’s hypocritical, but it’s his weakness) especially for these occasions. The popcorn they (regrettably) bypassed for alcohol the last time he was here.

When he opens the pantry, he sees the kids, who are supposed to be asleep. Not only are they not asleep, but all three of them are curled up like a pile of puppies, a hand apiece in a wholesale-size jar of Nutella. Not that their other hands aren’t chocolate-covered – the one Lauren claps to her face in surprise is barely recognizable as a hand except for one of the coral-pink nails that has somehow escaped being drenched in the infamously delicious hazelnut spread. 

(It’s bizarre how Nathan fixates on that, but he’d also walked into their house several hours ago to the sound of “That color! Just like Missy’s, Daddy!” and to the sight of Ryan Steven Lochte, famed Flo-Bro and self-proclaimed “illest motherfucker ever,” not only painting his daughter’s nails but also doing it correctly. The laugh that escaped him had been too loud to go undetected, so – much to his everlasting sorrow – he hadn’t been able to sneak a picture to Instagram and Tweet.)

Oliver just smiles innocently, as if to try to charm himself out of trouble. 

The look on Charlie’s face suggests that he knows he’s in trouble.

Michael and Ryan are no Anna, but they may just be the worst babysitters ever, Nathan thinks as he spends a solid 15 minutes getting every last trace of Nutella off his only child.

(It’s official. He’ll wait until Missy has a night free to attempt his next date.)

\---

“Did you have fun?” Charlie asks sleepily once they’ve finished his bedtime story.

“I don’t think you would’ve liked this one, buddy. Maybe next time.”

“OK.” Thankfully, Charlie doesn’t look too bummed out, but Nathan still decides to let the Nutella incident slide. 

Just this once. It’s been a rough night. “Good night, I love you.”

“Love you, too, Dad.” He’s already half-asleep as Nathan flips off the light.

4) Fun and gets along with my friends

Nathan’s next date is the most promising he’s had in a while. Tessa is a little different because it’s not a blind date. They’re classmates. The first time he noticed her in lecture was because she’s distractingly pretty. Sometimes he thinks she uses that to her advantage. It’s a little nuts, so he tries to avoid sitting next to her in class. 

(But it is med school – you do what you have to do to make it out alive. Med school is a strange place at times, especially for someone as easygoing as Nathan.) 

As for smarts, not only is Tessa a med student, too, but she also went to UVA for undergrad (which is impressive; it’s tied with UCLA, second only to Berkeley – which, obviously, is awesome – among public universities) and she’s consistently at the top of the curve in their classes. As for her c – he cuts off the not Nathan’s Favorite Flo-Bro Forever voice in his head before it can get dirty on him. (It’s also known as the Reezy voice – Reezy and MPeezy are still out of his good graces after the Nutella incident.)

When Nathan does sit next to Tessa in lecture, she’ll make funny little quips that leave him stifling his laughter so as not to catch the professor’s attention. She proves to be even funnier when they get coffee afterwards. Despite being fiercely ambitious, she sounds like a real family girl: when he brings up Charlie (and tries not to brag, which is hard because Charlie’s amazing), she gushes on and on about her nieces and nephew. 

Since Tessa appears to meet or at least potentially meet 4/5 criteria on The List and they’ve already hung out in class and had coffee (technically not dates though; since they were spur of the moment decisions and she paid for herself), he decides that he’ll put List Date #4 to the test on Item #4 of The List. 

Their first date will involve meeting his friends. It’s a risky move (especially when things are still rocky with certain bad babysitters who will remain nameless). But it’s just a night at the bowling alley: they’ll play a couple games, have some nachos and beer and chit chat. What’s the worst that could happen?

\---

Nathan and Tessa are on the same team along with Michael because, as usual, they play Gators v. Everybody Else.

It’s an absolute disaster. From the first frame, Tessa is spitting nails at Ryan for cheating. 

(Technically, Ryan is cheating, but this isn’t the Olympics, they’re just goofing off and playing for fun – at least this time. They do get crazy competitive a lot of times. 

Tonight, Nathan’s pretty sure Ryan’s antics are in service of some freaky sexual bet with Michael that he absolutely does not need to know anything about. But it’s not like Ryan’s doing it on purpose especially to annoy her or something.) 

Tessa is also on her team’s asses about their form and technique. (Nathan’s pretty sure Michael’s eyes will pop out of his head any minute now.)

She barely manages to speak civilly to Conor or Elizabeth, despite the fact that they’re two of the nicest people ever, just because they’re on the wrong team. 

It’s crazy. Everyone is just gaping at her.

When you’re too competitive and intense for Olympians (especially Michael Phelps), you’re too much. 

Nathan can tell his friends hate her. 

(He kind of hates her, too.)

Right then, he decides never to date another med student again.

They all breathe a sigh of relief once Tessa declares them the worst bowlers ever and stomps out of the bowling alley.

So much for bowling . . . they put down their bowling balls and adjourn to sit down at their lane-side table.

“That was awful,” Conor says bluntly as he arrives with their second pitcher of beer. He shakes his head, throwing Nathan a sympathetic look.

“The worst. Last time we did this was way more fun,” Ryan agrees. “Sorry Nateezy, but she sucked. I mean, she was hot, but just – you can do better, Damaga,” he finishes before abruptly wandering off. 

“My mom’s big on if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, so I’ll pass,” Michael chimes in, pushing the nacho basket at him.

“Seriously?”

“Well, besides seconding Conor and Ry.”

“You’re officially free from designated driver duties. I’m on it. You need this a lot more than I do,” Elizabeth tells him, squeezing his shoulder and filling his beer near-to-overflowing as Ryan returns with a bag of his favorite toffee-and-chocolate covered popcorn, tossing it to him with a casual “Here, bro.” 

With friends like these, who needs a girlfriend?

\---

But even as Nathan sits around laughing with his (admittedly great) friends, he feels like something’s missing. Or rather someone. 

Last time we did this was way more fun, Ryan had said just a little while ago.

Last time they came here, it hadn’t been some kind of date night. It had just been a group outing and Elizabeth had managed to get a neighbor to babysit all the kids at Conor’s and her house. Missy had joined them and it had been a blast. 

(With how readily Missy fits it into their group, Nathan often forgets how much younger she is. Ryan, who’s the oldest – and hates being reminded of the fact, which means of course they needle him and call him “old man” and “grandpa” all the time so that he’ll be a nightmare when he actually turns, like, 40 or something – is a full 11 years older than Missy. Probably less mature – despite having twice as many Olympiads, a marriage and 2 children under his belt – but still. 

But the age thing doesn’t really matter because they all just click.)

They’d been on the same team along with Michael because, as was often the case, they’d played Gators v. Everybody Else. 

Technically, both Nathan and Missy are sort of Gators now too, since he’s a UF med student and she’s now part of the Gator Swim Club, having followed her Cal coach out to a new job at UF after graduating. 

But really, they would both always be Golden Bears at heart, so they managed to convince Michael to get behind re-naming their team and the Golden Bears proceeded to clobber the Gators – all in good fun, of course.

(Ryan had refused to speak to them for a week. Nathan really doesn’t want to know what that was all about.)

It had been a great night.

\---

Just like Charlie and company had tonight apparently. With six children on her hands (two of them thankfully still too small to be much trouble), Missy had had a Herculean task ahead of her. They had all come back expecting to find her exhausted, conquered by their (well, mostly Michael and Ryan’s) devil children, but she was somehow bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with the littlest kids (Conor and Elizabeth’s younger two) peacefully asleep in their rooms and the elder four not quite dozing off on the couch. 

Since he’d been released from his designated driving responsibilities, Nathan decides it’s best to leave his car at the Dwyers’ and come get it tomorrow, so Missy drives them home instead. The entire ride back, Charlie is raving about how much fun he had: the ice cream they made from scratch (made from all-natural ingredients and very little sugar, Missy assures him when he side-eyes her), the games they played (hide-and-seek – that was brave of her, 7-Up, Go Fish), the stories she told (that’s what she’d been doing with the kids when they had come back, which explains how relaxed they were) – the list goes on.

When they’re getting out of the car, Charlie asks Missy if she can tell him a bedtime story.

That’s too much to ask after how much she already did tonight. “Charlie, it’s late, I’m sure –”

“If it’s OK with your dad.”

“It’s fine with me, but I’m sure you have better things to –”

“I don’t,” she counters. “C’mon, Charlie.”

She’s a far better storyteller than he is. She’s great. (Apparently the history books aren’t the only place where she can go toe-to-toe with Michael.) Charlie’s enthralled and wheedles two out of her. After the second, Nathan stops him before he asks for a third. “Say goodnight to Missy, buddy.”

“Goodnight, Missy.”

“Goodnight, favorite kid,” she smiles at Charlie before kissing him on the forehead and pulling his covers up a little tighter.

“Night Dad.”

“Night buddy, I love you.”

“Love you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Date #5

**5) _GOOD MOM MATERIAL_ **

The epic disaster with Tessa puts Nathan off dating – even with The List, which has failed him pretty spectacularly thus far – for a while.

 

Eventually, Elizabeth coaxes him into giving things another shot when she calls him practically bursting with enthusiasm over a new prospect. “Nathan, I found someone you _have_ to meet. Stephanie. She’s from my surfing group, we get along reallywell. She’s drop-dead gorgeous and a good conversationalist (not to mention absolutely _owns_ the _Times_ crossword puzzle, even the hardest ones), she’s hilarious– like this total deadpan sense of humor. And she has a kid, too! I suggested maybe you guys could get froyo and then take the kids to the park or something.”

 

(Nathan sometimes wonders if people know about The List – like maybe they can read his mind or he has it tattooed on his forehead in ink only he can’t see.)

 

He’s wary but this Stephanie _has_ been vetted by Elizabeth, who’s seen and heard about plenty of his terrible dates. It’s worth a shot.

 

\---

 

They meet up on a school day, get their frozen yogurt and chat before picking the kids up from school. (It turns out Stephanie’s son goes to St. Peter’s, too.) She’s everythingElizabeth promised – a little crunchy, though, but Nathan’s used to that after Cal; so far so good.

 

Charlie looks a little mistrustful, but Nathan dismisses it as Charlie not being used to meeting a lot of new women – he’s neverhimintroduced to any of the women he dates.

 

\---

 

 _It’s worth a shot_. Right about now, Nathan would like to _be_ shot. And he can’t imagine how poor Charlie feels. He ought to be charged with abuse by Child Protective Services or something for putting his son through this.

 

As it turns out, making Stephanie the first List Date – date _period_ – Charlie meets is a terrible decision. The absolute worst.

 

Once they get to the park, all hell breaks loose. Stephanie’s son Walter (what a name – it’s from _Breaking Bad_ , she tells him, that should’ve set the alarm bells off) gives new meaning to the phrases “devil child” and “hellion.”

 

Walter’s a terror. No wonder Charlie kept shooting him those looks in the car.

 

It’s clear Stephanie feels bad about Walter’s behavior, but she does nothing to stop him, telling Nathan that she thinks parents who berate and hit their children (especially in public) are the worst. Nathan would never spank Charlie (in public or otherwise) if he misbehaved, but there’s a lot between doing that and doing nothing.

 

He extracts them from the situation as soon as is polite (which feels like an eternity) – miraculously restraining himself from hitting Walter when he tries to take a swipe at Charlie (Walter’s already poured sand on Charlie’s head and pushed him down the slide before he was ready, so it’s nearly impossiblefor Nathan to contain himself) – by telling Stephanie they have plans with friends.

 

As they walk away, the shaken look on Charlie’s face makes Nathan feel so bad that he reflects guiltily even on the frozen yogurt from earlier, thinking how unfair it is that _he’d_ had somethingpleasant before the afternoon went to hell. Charlie’s the one who deserves a frozen yogurt as consolation for that torture and Nathan tells him so (leaving out the word “torture,” obviously).

 

“Dessert _before_ dinner?” Charlie asks disbelievingly.

 

“Just this once.”

\---

 

Charlie thoroughly enjoys his cup of chocolate frozen yogurt with strawberries. They take their dear sweet time, just sitting and relaxing; after the day they’ve been having, they both deserve it.

 

Nathan is _still_ worried he may have scarred Charlie for life; so much so that they follow up the froyo with a visit to the pet store. They don’t actually buy anything (because who has the time to take care of a pet right now?) but they both enjoy it. As they’re about to leave, they run into Missy, with her puppy Brownie. (It’s not a surprising choice of pet name from somebody who loves to bake.) Brownie is overjoyed to see them, nosing familiarly at Nathan’s legs and eager to have Charlie pet and cuddle her.

 

Once Missy selects and pays for a new leash and the three of them (the fourof them – can’t forget Brownie) walk out together, Missy asks what they’ve been up to. With the nightmare a couple hours removed, Nathan can almost laugh about it and is about to launch into the story when Charlie beats him to the punch.

 

While they walk (without any particular destination in mind), it’s obvious that Missy is just as engaged a listener (if not more) with Charlie and his tale of the date/play date from hell as she was with Nathan’s story about List Date #2 (also known as Mona-Lisa-Brought-to-Life). As they approach a small sidewalk café, Missy stops short, tugging Brownie to a halt.

 

“I – I was actually planning to eat dinner here because I really don’t feel like cooking like tonight. And it’s pet-friendly, if you’re eating outside. Plus the weather’s so nice.”

 

“Oh OK.” Well, _that’s_ disappointing.

 

“I know you guys already ate, but if maybe you wanted to sit for a little, I hate to –”

 

“Just froyo!” Charlie pipes in.

 

Missy raises an eyebrow. “Dessert before dinner?”

 

Charlie nods.

 

If possible, Missy’s brows go higher and she throws Nathan a questioning look.

 

He shrugs at her, as if to say, _Remember the day we had_?

 

“Well, if you haven’t eaten – I mean, maybe you want to eat at home – do you want to –?”

 

Nathan really doesn’t want to cook, not tonight, and he’s close to accepting the invitation Missy hasn’t finished issuing when –

 

“Can we _please_ , Dad?”

 

Charlie deserves it. (And Nathan would be lying if he said he would be happy cutting their unexpected run-in with Missy short.)

 

“Sure buddy,” he agrees, ruffling Charlie’s hair and smiling at Missy.

\---

 

They get burgers and fries (another treat and God, they’re _good_ ), but Nathan at least makes sure there’s salad included. Charlie gives his side salad (he likes some vegetables, but salads are a weirdly hard sell) an unhappy look and Nathan is about to tell him he can skip it just this once (it’s really been a _just this once_ kind of day), when Missy interjects that the salad looks delicious, that she’s so excited to eat hers because it helps her swim better and “anyway, don’t you want to grow up big and strong like your dad?”

 

Charlie glances quickly at Nathan before picking up his fork and digging in.

 

It’s the best dinner they’ve had in ages.

 

When the check comes, Missy snatches it up so quickly that he has no time to react.

 

\---

 

When they’re done at the café, Missy coaxes them into returning to the scene of the crime.

 

Thistime around, it’s obvious that Charlie is enjoying himself. Missy pushes Charlie on his swing (after Nathan pushed them bothfor a solid ten minutes; his arms are _still_ sore) as he sits and watches them, Brownie lying down beside his feet.

 

Once Charlie’s got enough momentum, Missy comes to sit on the bench with him. They watch Charlie but don’t talk. It’s not uncomfortable; it’s an easy, companionable silence. It’s nice.

 

“Oh, what a lovely family!” He hears an elderly woman exclaim, startling him out of his reverie. It takes a beat before he realizes she’s referring to them – to him and Charlie and _Missy_ – and he feels himself flush. It’s not a bad thought (Nathan tries not to think about what _that_ thought means), but he really hopes Missy didn’t hear her because –

 

Except when he looks at Missy, it’s obvious that she did. Her face is as pink as his feels.

 

He’s about to speak up and correct her when the woman calls to Charlie as she walks away, “Such a lucky boy you are!”

 

Charlie doesn’t answer. He just nods at her, smiling wider as he keeps swinging.

 

That’s when Nathan _knows_.

 

_But I promise I’ll pick better next time. Because you’ll help, right? I mean, you’re only a baby, but I’m pretty sure you’re already smarter than me._

 

Charlie really _is_ smarter than him.

 

Maybe they should consider Mensa.

 

\---

 

Nathan takes a deep breath, steels himself, hoping the question he’s about to ask gets an affirmative answer.

 

He’s barely finished talking when Missy agrees, her smile blinding. “I’d like that.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, really.” ( _Thank God._ ) “Actually, um – if I tell you a secret, do you promise not to laugh?”

 

 _Interesting_. “I promise.”

 

“Cross your heart?”

 

“And hope to die,” he says seriously, biting his lip so as not to smile.

 

“I had the _biggest_ crush on you when you were still training at Cal.”

 

“Had?” He asks, half-disappointed.

 

“Stop it, you know what I mean,” Missy rolls her eyes. “But I was this, like, lowly undergrad –”

 

“Lowly undergrad? Missy Franklin, the next great American swimmer?” The laughter bubbles up in his throat, but he _promised_.

 

“You’d be surprised. And anyway, you were doing all these appearances and stuff and then there was your –”

 

 _Ex_ , he finishes silently, but won’t dwell on it.

 

“Well, let’s just say I wasn’t exactly in a position to pursue you or think you’d wantmeto pursue you and I didn’t have a prayer of _you_ pursuing _me_. I was practically still a kid.”

 

“Well, you’re right I guess – you were kind of a kid, still.”

 

“Not anymore.” She smiles teasingly.

 

“Definitely not anymore.”

**\---**

When they’ve finished their bedtime story later that night, Charlie tells him that it was a good day.

 

(Thank God he hasn’t been permanently traumatized by the first half of it.)

 

“Yeah, it was. Good night, buddy. I love you.”

 

“Me too,” Charlie mumbles, eyes already drifting closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 1 That Was Just Right.

**\+ 1**

Things don’t exactly get off on the right foot. The sitter Nathan booked (not a friend for once, since he hadn’t wanted to alert everyone to their plans) calls and informs him that she has a family emergency.

 

When he tries Ryan, he finds out the twins have the chicken pox, so no dice.

 

He tries Elizabeth next, feeling a little bit frantic. “Hey, sorry this is such a last-minute question, but I have a date tonight and the sitter has an emergency and Mike and Ryan can’t help because the kids –”

“Have the chicken pox,” Elizabeth finishes. “So do ours.”

 

 _Damn it_. “Oh. Sorry. That sucks.”

 

“I’m guessing Charlie doesn’t, because otherwise –”

 

“Yeah, no. Not yet, at least. But if everybody else does –”

 

“He probably will, too. I mean, if you want to bring him over –”

 

“Thanks, but I’d rather not risk it, just in case he doesn’t. And if he does, he’ll be more comfortable at home anyway.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right. Have you tried Missy?”

 

“I –” Somehow he can’t stop himself. “The date is _with_ Missy.”

 

Elizabeth laughs, not sounding (to hissurprise) the least _bit_ surprised. “Finally!I mean, after that whole group date fiasco, after I told you about Stephanie, but, like, before you were actually supposed to meet up with her – sorry againfor that, I had no idea Walter was like that, I’ve never met him and she always says what an _angel_ he is, I should’ve suspected, because who calls a boy that age an angel? – I mentioned to Missy that I felt so bad about all the crappy dates you kept going on that I wished Schmitty would just move here so I could set _her_ up with you and she looked at me like I’d just run over Brownie.”

 

“Seriously? Schmitty?”

 

(Allison probably met all the objective requirements on his list, but – in all honesty, he sometimes thought she would’ve ended up with _Michael_ if Michael hadn’t had _Property of Ryan Lochte_ written all over him in invisible ink years before they ever met.)

 

“Uh huh. And then when I asked what was the matter, she just gave me this _look_ and was like, ‘What am I, chopped liver?”

 

“Really?”

 

”Yeah, so I was like, well, _Nathan and Allie are almost the same age. And she’s retired, too. So it makes sense._ But there’s geography, so it wouldn’t even work anyway, it was just a hypothetical – But, I mean, you guys – you and Missy– are on totally different wavelengths, so I hadn’t even _thought_.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Don’t sound so bummed, Nathan. Don’t be bummed at all, actually, because Missy really likes you, obviously. Actually I’m surprised I didn’t notice, let alone realize how compatible you actually are – especially because _Ryan_ did.”

 

“What?” _No way_.

 

“Yeah, really. Speaking of – ugh, I should actually be really mad at you right now. Last week, Ryan and Michael were over for dinner and Ryan bet us all that you’d ask Missy out within the month. Given that I was setting you up for what I thought was the greatest date ever and that that was _before_ I talked to Missy, I was pretty cocky, not to mention Conor and Michael thought he was nuts. So now I owe him a hundred dollars, Conor owes him drinks for the next three months whenever we all go out and Michael probably owes him things I’d really rather not think about because if _Ryan_ thinks it’s not suitable dinner conversation . . . And worst of all, he’ll _never_ let us live it down.”

 

( _Last time we did this was_ way _more fun_.

 

Maybe Ryan _was_ trying to annoy Tessa.

 

Nah. That would require some sort of strategy or something. Ryan Lochte doesn’t do strategy, doesn’t see the point of _planning ahead_ outside of training.)

 

“Sorry about that? Though I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about you guys betting on my love life.” He really doesn’t. (Or about the fact that not only is his son smarter than him, but apparently _Ryan Lochte_ is, too. _God_.) “Anyway, I was wondering –”

 

“I have no idea if this is what you were going to ask, but I asked her why she agrees to babysit Charlie when you go on all these dates and she said that just because she’d rather you go out with _her_ doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to spend time with Charlie, even if the reason is less than ideal.”

 

Not what he meant to ask, but something he’d wondered about and he’s forgotten what he was going to ask anyway. “Thanks, Elizabeth.”

 

“You’re welcome, but I wish I could’ve been more helpful.”

 

 _You’ve been plenty helpful_. “I mean, you can’t help the kids being sick.”

 

“I know, but . . . Maybe try Gregg? Don’t tell Ryan, though, he gets so upset that Gregg never wants to babysit for them – like seriously, starts saying stuff about how he’s the red-headed stepchild and stuff, total drama queening – but is totally cool with our kids. And Charlie is even better behaved.”

 

“Hmm, good idea.”

 

“Well, good luck!”

 

“Thanks. Tell the kids I hope they feel better. Bye. ”

 

\---

 

Nathan’s about to try Gregg Troy, but he feels guilty at the thought of Charlie showing symptoms while he’s out and not here to take care of him.

 

He hasn’t got any choice but to cancel. (He can’t help but think this is karma for the time he wanted to get out of that date with poor Belinda by lying and saying Charlie was sick.)

 

Missy’s not upset – well, she’s upset for Charlie. “Poor kids, chicken pox are the worst. I would say I hope Charlie doesn’t come down with them, but it’s probably better that he has them now when all his friends do, since he’d be bored anyway and not be stuck at home alone later or get them when he’s older, because it’s dangerous as an adult.”

 

“Studying pediatrics in your spare time?”

 

“You forget my mom’s a doctor, mister.”

 

“Right, well –”

 

“I mean, I know you’ll be busy if Charlie ends up being sick, but would it be all right if I came –”

 

He smiles in relief. “Absolutely. I mean, you’ve had the chicken pox?”

 

“Yes. And it was a really bad case, so I’m definitely safe.”

 

“OK, well, if you don’t mind putting up with Charlie tonight –”

 

“It’s not _putting up with_ Charlie. I like Charlie. You know that,” Missy counters indignantly.

 

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that he’ll be cranky. I don’t think you’ve ever seen him cranky. Most people haven’t. You may like him a little less after this.”

 

“Doubt it. Anyway, it’ll only prove he’s human. He’s so great sometimes I wonder.” He can hear her smile even if he can’t see it.

 

Even though he’s always known Missy thinks well of Charlie, it warms him to hear her say it.

 

“OK then. I’ll bring some calamine lotion, anti-itch cream, and ingredients for an oatmeal bath, if you need them.”

 

“I was going to – that’d be great, actually.”

 

“Have you got gloves for him?” 

 

“Mm-hmm. All that stuff is more than enough. Thanks for caring so much, seriously.”

 

“I’m glad to help. And I’m looking forward to it, even if the circumstances are less than ideal.”

 

“Me too. Should we just stick to 6?”

 

“Sounds good. So I’ll see you later.”

 

“See you then. Bye.”

 

“Bye.”

 

He’s smiling as he hangs up, even as he runs through a mental checklist of everything he needs to do

 

When he picks Charlie up from school, it’s obvious he’s already coming down with something. _Damn it_. Poor kid; he’s listless and his forehead is warm (not hot, thankfully, but still warm) to the touch. Once they get back to the house, Nathan spots the first dots of the rash that’s going to escalate pretty quickly. He makes sure to cut Charlie’s nails so he doesn’t give himself an infection with the scratching he’s sure to do (no matter how many times Nathan tells him not to) and to turn down the thermostat a bit, since Charlie’s going to get hot and sweaty if he isn’t already.

 

Charlie perks up a little when Nathan tells him Missy will be coming over for dinner. Which, speaking of – He texts her, asking what she wants for dinner.

 

**(303) DO NOT COOK. Going to make something, already have the ingredients.**

 

**(360) Lasagna?**

(Her lasagna is _good_. Those were the best leftovers he’s ever had.)

**(303) Yes!**

**(360) Awesome. Except not a good date if you have to cook so I’ll order something. Tell me what.**

 

**(303) Fine. Pizza. Pizza and Netflix. The three of us will have a great time.**

 

_The three of us._

****

**(360) Perfect**

**(303) Doesn’t mean I won’t make lasagna. I’ll freeze it for you guys for later.**

Missy’s stubborn, so he’s not going to keep fighting it.

**(360) If you insist. See you at 6.**

**(303) See you then!**

 

\---

 

Charlie’s bathed and already in pajamas, settled snugly on the couch when the doorbell rings. Nathan’s just out of the shower himself. He looks down out the window and can see that it’s Missy, so he calls down to Charlie to open the door for her and tell her he’ll be down soon.

 

(Meeting her at the door in a towel would _not_ be a good idea. That would be a play right out of the Lochte Hardcore Handbook, which he’s not about to use in his own love life. Ever.)

 

He can hear Missy ask Charlie how he’s feeling. Charlie’s not particularly forthcoming, instead telling Missy that she looks “even more pretty than usual.”

 

Once he comes downstairs, Nathan realizes that “even more pretty than usual” is the understatement of the century.

 

 _Fucking_ _gorgeous_ is a little more accurate. He’s especially glad he put in some extra effort, despite the circumstances.

 

“Wow – you – you look great.” She’s wearing a casual blue dress that brings out her eyes (which are beautiful), her hair is loose and soft-looking (and he’s itching to touch it), but most importantly her smile is as big and bright as ever – maybe it seems a little sweeter than usual because it’s directed especially at him.

 

She blushes. “You clean up well, too,” she says lightly, hands clasped in front of her like a schoolgirl.

 

Charlie stands there, looking between them as if he knows _something’s_ changed, even if he can’t put his finger on what the difference is exactly. The silence goes a beat too long. “Dad?”

 

“Mm-hmm?” He's still too distracted by Missy to turn and look at Charlie.

 

“I’m hungry.”

 

“There’s some salad in the fridge with your name on it.”

 

“But we’re having pizza.”

 

“You know the rules: salad first, then pizza.”

 

“OK,” Charlie grumbles. Well that’s good – at least he’s not so sick he won’t protest his least-favorite rule.

 

“You can have it at the kitchen table while we’re making lasagna.”

 

“Lasagna? I like lasagna – _Missy’_ s lasagna,” Charlie glances at her then. “But you _said_ we’re gonna eat pizza.”

 

“Pizza tonight, but we’re making lasagna for tomorrow,” Missy cuts in cheerily, putting an arm around Charlie’s shoulders as they head into the kitchen.

 

“OK.” Charlie sounds a little more chipper at that.

 

\---

 

The pizza arrives shortly after they’ve stored the prepared lasagna in the freezer. Because Charlie did such a good job with his salad (and is sick, after all), Missy negotiates a once-in-a-blue moon concession: dinner in front of the TV while they watch their movie. She (easily) convinces Charlie that _The Little Mermaid_ is a good choice because “they swim like we do” and, anyway, Charlie likes Ariel’s animal friends. (So does Nathan, if truth be told.)

 

It’s nice, the three of them spread out on the (extra-long) couch together, occasionally whispering ridiculous comments (Nathan), earnestly – but not too-earnestly – asking questions (Charlie) and unabashedly singing along with the different characters (Missy, whose singing voice is 10,000 times better than his own). The longer they watch, the more readily Charlie leans into Missy’s side, legs thrown into Nathan’s lap, and it’s so _natural_ that Nathan thinks – not to get ahead of himself – that he could do this every day for the rest of his life.

 

\---

 

After the movie ends (and Charlie’s sound asleep), Nathan scoops him up to put him to bed, thinking he’s fully asleep, and waves away Missy’s offer to help when he realizes Charlie’s still half-awake.

 

They need a minute alone.

 

He sits down on the edge of Charlie’s bed, facing him as he leans back against his pillows. Before Nathan’s even tucked him in or said a word, Charlie declares, “I like Missy. A lot.”

 

“Me too, buddy. I really, really do. You did good,” he agrees, wondering if his son hears what he’s really saying. “I love you.”

 

“Love you too, Dad,” he replies with a sleepy smile.

 

Even as Nathan turns out the light to head back downstairs, Charlie’s still smiling.

 

 _Just right_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> This story was originally posted on LJ. Reminder that like the other kids I write (WWGM, Reezy Knows Best, etc.), Charlie first came from the olympickids comm. Reminder that this is purely fictional and I own nothing. 
> 
> From the original notes:
> 
> "Thanks especially to acquafiamma for the prompt that let me go to town with my Nathan-and-Charlie (and eventually Missy) feels. Rest assured we will see more of these three in the future." 
> 
> There's much written; whether it gets finished and goes up depends on my time/your interest. More info/updates on LJ :)


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